Archive

The “Move Your Money” effort is a simple, straightforward way of holding banks accountable by moving your money and other financial arrangements from the mega-bank offenders to smaller, more responsible institutions. By doing so you’ll help to end “too-big-to-fail,” you’ll be investing in Main Street, not Wall Street, and lending a hand to local businesses.

Plus, you’re likely to have lower fees and better, more personal service. Learn why moving your money to community institutions is important, and what might be in it for you.

If you are not in our area, find similar banks and credit unions where you live!

Move Your Money public panel discussion

MC – Robin Stelly, Penn Action

Panelists:

Frank Arcoleo, MBA, CPA

Bruce Iaocabucci, President, First Federal Bank of Bucks County

Vince Market, CFO, TruMark Financial Credit Union

We had a great event today with our speakers. Everyone there learned so much. Thanks to all who came, and to the panelists who shared with us.

One thing that I learned about Credit Unions that I didn’t know before, is that it is possible for them to widen their market to include people that live, work, worship, or volunteer in a geographic area. TruMark is in 5 counties, including Bucks County.

I learned that First Federal does a lot of work in Bucks County, and has branches near me in Yardley Boro and Lower Makefield.

If you have questions, post them here or forward to me at sallykwitt@gmail.com. I will get them to the right person to help you.

((Video is shaky in spots, sorry. I used a hand held camera and it was a long program. I didn’t want to miss anything, though)

Hear from local community bankers the benefits of moving your money into community banks

and credit unions. What’s in it for you? What’s in it for the community?

Guests: Frank Arcoleo, MBA, CPA

Bruce Iaocabucci, President, First Federal Bank of Bucks County

Vince Market, CFO, TruMark Financial Credit Union

WHERE: Yardley Makefield Library, 1080 Edgewood Road, Yardley, 19067

WHEN: Saturday, April 28, Noon

Join us for a Move Your Money public panel discussion Big banks used their privileged status to gamble on exotic financial instruments like collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and credit default swaps (CDSs). When their bets paid off, the bankers got huge bonuses. When the bets failed, the US taxpayer took the losses. Heads they win, tails we lose. And nobody – the government, the courts, or the market – has held these behemoth banks accountable for tanking the economy and plunging millions into unemployment.

The “Move Your Money” effort is a simple, straightforward way of holding banks accountable by moving your money and other financial arrangements from the mega-bank offenders to smaller, more responsible institutions. By doing so you’ll help to end “too-big-to-fail,” you’ll be investing in Main Street, not Wall Street, and lending a hand to local businesses.

Plus, you’re likely to have lower fees and better, more personal service. Learn why moving your money to community institutions is important, and what might be in it for you.
PLEASE RSVP and ask your friends to come!Event URL:http://pol.moveon.org/event/99communitybuild/128748

May 9 Action

99% Spring Bank Protest
Bank of America Newtown (sidewalk in front)
2900 S Eagle Rd
Newtown, PA 18940
Wednesday, 9 May 2012, 12:00 PM
Join us on both sides of the street on the sidewalks in front of the Bank of America at the Villages of Newtown.

This past Sunday, John Jordan spoke at Love Fellowship Tabernacle in Bensalem about the Voter Id issues. I spoke to people as they were leaving, and had Bucks County residents sign the petition to the Commissioners. We have plans this weekend to do a few more church services.

We had teams stationed at voting locations in Bristol Borough and the Township to educate people about the new law, and to ask them to sign the petition requesting a County Task Force to help people in the county get to vote in Bucks. We are looking for people to come with us on Wednesday May 2 at 10 am to go to the County Commissioner’s meeting to present the petitions at the meeting that will be held in Newtown this time.

Robin’s report –

First one after the morning shifts-

Our amazing volunteers were up and at the polls by 7am today.

Thanks to Darlene H., Brian L., Flora R., Bob M., Eleanor G.,

and Barb S.! They collected 84 signatures on the petition from

voters of both parties. They handed out literature educating voters

about the Photo ID law requirements for November.
You can see photos of all the volunteers at work this morning

to get to your online friends and associates. We’re over 750 signatures over there so

let’s keep the momentum building up to the May 2 delivery.

Thanks again for everything you’re doing to defend voting rights in Bucks County.

eR 🙂

From the Courier Times:

Volunteers for the Community Campaign for Voting Rights handed out literature — provided by the Pennsylvania Voter ID Coalition — in Bristol Township and Bristol to educate the public about the voter ID requirement. The organization is a coalition that includes Penn Action, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and MoveOn.org.

Most voters had a general sense of the upcoming voting requirement, volunteer Bob Mason said of the voters he encountered at Bristol Township’s municipal building. However, many didn’t know the specifics of the new law.

Mason said the law is “straight-out voter suppression.”

Supporters of the law, including state Sen. Tommy Tomlinson, R-6, argue that the law will prevent voter fraud and that was the main reason behind it.

Mason said he wanted proof of any past voter fraud, so he called Tomlinson’s office and requested that he provide the evidence. Mason said Tomlinson’s office produced paperwork, but none that he said strongly supported voter fraud as a big issue in the state.

Outside the Bristol Township municipal building, Lower Makefield resident Sally Witt, co-coordinator of MoveOn.org in Bucks County, was gathering signatures on a petition urging the Bucks County Commissioners to appoint a task force to explore ways to make getting a photo ID easier.

“The law is passed, so we’re doing damage control,” said Witt. “Many elderly people can’t get the proper documentation to get a photo ID. Also, we’d like to see things like mobile ID studios, vans which go around to senior citizen homes and other places where older people can’t go out and help them get a photo ID.”

Things are really moving along with this project. It is time NOW to put all the energy and ideas into action. If you would like to work with us on this project in Bucks County, contact Robin Stelly at pennaction@gmail.com.

You are welcome to join us at events, and at our weekly planning meetings!Our Core group meets every Wed. at 1pm at Joan and Sally’s house. New Core members are always welcome. This is where we plan, keep updated on news from Moveon and Penn Action, and share ideas. email for directions sallykwitt@gmail.com.

Getting Letters to the Editor, and Guest Opinions printed is so important. Let us know if you are willing to write, or if you need help writing one. Contact Frank ArcoleoFrank.Arcoleo@verizon.netor Bob Mason robmas1@verizon.net for ideas or help.

Your Coordinators:

Robin Stelly – Penn ActionJoan King, Sally Witt – Moveon.org

We are now doing a weekly newsletter for our larger group. Sally Witt and Linda O’Connor will be managing the newsletter. Questions, or suggestions can be sent to loc2000@aol.com or sallykwitt@gmail.com.

Hear from local community bankers the benefits of moving your money into community banks

and credit unions. What’s in it for you? What’s in it for the community?

Guests: Frank Arcoleo, MBA, CPA

Bruce Iaocabucci, President, First Federal Bank of Bucks County

Vince Market, CFO, TruMark Financial Credit Union

WHERE: Yardley Makefield Library, 1080 Edgewood Road, Yardley, 19067

WHEN: Saturday, April 28, Noon

Join us for a Move Your Money public panel discussion Big banks used their privileged status to gamble on exotic financial instruments like collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and credit default swaps (CDSs). When their bets paid off, the bankers got huge bonuses. When the bets failed, the US taxpayer took the losses. Heads they win, tails we lose. And nobody – the government, the courts, or the market – has held these behemoth banks accountable for tanking the economy and plunging millions into unemployment.

The “Move Your Money” effort is a simple, straightforward way of holding banks accountable by moving your money and other financial arrangements from the mega-bank offenders to smaller, more responsible institutions. By doing so you’ll help to end “too-big-to-fail,” you’ll be investing in Main Street, not Wall Street, and lending a hand to local businesses.

Plus, you’re likely to have lower fees and better, more personal service. Learn why moving your money to community institutions is important, and what might be in it for you.
PLEASE RSVP and ask your friends to come!Event URL:http://pol.moveon.org/event/99communitybuild/128748

Voter Id Project-

Robin’s report –

1. GREAT NEWS! Twenty-six people from all over the county showed up at the Commissioners Meeting to make the

case for a task force dedicated to educating the public about burdensome and confusing Photo ID

law. Many thanks to all who took time from their day to take this important step. You can

The next Commissioners meeting is happening on May 2 in Newtown at the Lockheed Martin facility. 10am.

2. PRIMARY DAY is this Tuesday. We have a petition to use at polling places in Bristol (enclosed below).

We need people to be at those polls. So far, we have 9 people signed up.

If you can be at a poll in Bristol on TUESDAY from either 7am – 9am or from 5pm – 8pm,

PLEASE send me an email asap. Please don’t assume that I already know you want to

help with this effort. Just email Robin Stelly at pennaction@gmail.com and let me know that you’ll help on primary day and if you want the morning or evening shift.

The goal of Primary Day is to get the word out about the new Photo ID law AND to collect signatures on the petition to the Commissioners to form the task force. Then, we can ask the people who signed if they’d like to help with the Community Campaign for Voting Rights to educate the public and get people ready to vote in November.

3. NEXT MEETING of Community Campaign for Voting Rights is on MONDAY, April 23 at 6:30pm in the Annex of the Norton Avenue First Baptist Church. Please do you best to join us. We’ll be talking about the Primary and setting some goals for our neighbor-to-neighbor outreach. We can’t move forward without you! Tell a friend!
Things are really moving along with this project. It is time NOW to put all the energy and ideas into action. If you would like to work with us on this project in Bucks County, contact Robin Stelly at pennaction@gmail.com.

You might be interested in-

1. Important information about a massive rally taking place in Harrisburg on April 28 to protest the relentless attacks on women. This is an organic, multi-organizational rally happening in every single state in the nation, and you can find out more about Pennsylvania’s event at http://wowmarch.org.

2. This Tuesday, April 24th Democratic volunteers from across Bucks County are urgently needed for a Write-in Campaign in the 142nd House District in Lower Bucks County. We need volunteers to help explain to Democratic voters how to write-in Democrat Harry Arnold for State Representative. It is critical that we obtain a minimum of 300 write-in votes for Harry Arnold so he can become the Democratic nominee for State Representative in the 142nd House District. It is absolutely critical that we have a Democratic candidate for State Representative in the 142nd House District.

Please join us at the Middletown County Club 420 N Bellevue Ave Langhorne, PA 19047

NOTE: Please enter through the downstairs entrance on the left side of the building.

We will be there from 7am until 8pm on Primary Election Day April 24th.

You are welcome to join us at events, and at our weekly planning meetings!Our Core group meets every Wed. at 1pm at Joan and Sally’s house. New Core members are always welcome. This is where we plan, keep updated on news from Moveon and Penn Action, and share ideas. email for directions sallykwitt@gmail.com.

Getting Letters to the Editor, and Guest Opinions printed is so important. Let us know if you are willing to write, or if you need help writing one. Contact Frank ArcoleoFrank.Arcoleo@verizon.netor Bob Mason robmas1@verizon.net for ideas or help.

Your Coordinators:

Robin Stelly – Penn ActionJoan King, Sally Witt – Moveon.org

We are now doing a weekly newsletter for our larger group. Sally Witt and Linda O’Connor will be managing the newsletter. Questions, or suggestions can be sent to loc2000@aol.com or sallykwitt@gmail.com.

I would like to get the newsletter out as soon after our planning meeting as possible. Last week it was Saturday night. I made sure and get it out today, Thursday because many people celebrate the Spring Holidays.

Have a Happy Easter, Blessed Passover, and a joyous Spring!

Our Core group meets every Wed. at 1pm at Joan and Sally’s house. New Core members are always welcome. This is where we plan, keep updated on news from Moveon and Penn Action, and share ideas. email for directions sallykwitt@gmail.com.

There is NO 1pm meeting on April 11 because of the evening training in Richboro – see below!!

Big Project-

The group of us that have been meeting with people, ministers, social activists, and others for Community Conversations have voted on their first big project to improve the Community in Bristol Township. The meetitngs are at the Norton First Ave Baptist Church in their Community Center. Robin Stelly and Joan King worked very hard to start these meetings with Pastor Evans and Martha Miller.

With information and resources from the NAACP and John Jordan, we are now committed to work with other agencies and groups to help people to get the ID’s that they need to vote in November due to the law that was just passed.

Students, the elderly, and people with disabilities are most at risk of losing their opportunity to vote in November. If you would like to work with us on this project in Bucks County, contact Robin Stelly at pennaction@gmail.com.

Already Happened!

Saturday, March 31 — Rally for Women’s Rights
Great experience!
Photo of Barb Stakes and Joan King at the cold rainy event!

Get trained in important techniques of nonviolent direct action and learn more about the 99% movement. Where: Free Library of Northampton, 25 Upper Holland Road, Richboro, PA 18954-1514 When: Wednesday, April 11 5:30pm (program will begin at 5:30pm sharp) Who: Everyone who wants to learn how to work to defend the shrinking middle class through nonviolent direct action.

Wells Fargo walk to corner across from Train Station
17 Apr , 04:00 PM
We will meet at 4pm at the sidewalk on Levittown Parkway and Route 13 kitty-corner from the Levittown Train Station. We will have signs and chanting. A We will do a “honk and wave” across from the Train Station until 5:30pm. Join us! We will send out an email with sign suggestions a few days before the event.
Status: Public, open for RSVP, 0 Guests (Max 999)
Best way to contact host: Email
Event URL: http://civic.moveon.org/event/taxthe1/128887

Yardley Makefield Library
28 Apr , 12:00 PM
Join us for a Move Your Money public panel discussion Big banks used their privileged status to gamble on exotic financial instruments like collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and credit default swaps (CDSs). When their bets paid off, the bankers got huge bonuses. When the bets failed, the US taxpayer took the losses. Heads they win, tails we lose. And nobody – the government, the courts, or the market – has held these behemoth banks accountable for tanking the economy and plunging millions into unemployment. The “Move Your Money” effort is a simple, straightforward way of holding banks accountable by moving your money and other financial arrangements from the mega-bank offenders to smaller, more responsible institutions. By doing so you’ll help to end “too-big-to-fail,” you’ll be investing in Main Street, not Wall Street, and lending a hand to local businesses. Plus, you’re likely to have lower fees and better, more personal service. Learn why moving your money to community institutions is important, and what might be in it for you.

Getting Letters to the Editor, and Guest Opinions printed is so important. Let us know if you are willing to write, or if you need help writing one. Contact Frank Arcoleo Frank.Arcoleo@verizon.net or Bob Mason robmas1@verizon.net for ideas or help.

Your Coordinators:

Robin Stelly – Penn Action
Joan King, Sally Witt – Moveon.org

We are now doing a weekly newsletter for our larger group. Sally Witt and Linda O’Connor will be managing the newsletter. Questions, or suggestions can be sent to loc2000@aol.com or sallykwitt@gmail.com.

Frank Arcoleo put together a great training for our team on the Economic Dialogue based on the training he attended at US Action. Frank has an MBA from the Wharton School, and is an amazing resource in our area.

This is an informal video of the training. You can see the wonderful dedication that Frank and our other team members have in learning, growing, and making a difference!

If you are in the Bucks County, PA area and want to join us. Email me at sallykwitt@gmail.com.

Showing that there is red tape and restrictions to getting unemployment benefits!

My Mom protesting the potential restriction of having drug testing for unemployment benefits to be paid! She is a brave and wonderful activist!!

“Why is it that in a time when many hard working Americans are struggling to get jobs, public officials call us “free loaders” and attack the Unemployment Insurance as a waste of tax dollars? Didn’t we pay those Unemployment Insurance premiums ourselves? Why must you further degrade us through drug testing and other senseless application obstacles?”

Those are questions Bucks County resident, Arianne Sellers, asked in an open letter to Congressman Fitzpatrick yesterday. That’s Arianne in the photo above, delivering to Congressman Fitzpatrick’s office your statements and stories in suppport of the Unemployment Insurance program.

Thanks very much for raising your voice about this important issue. As the Rev. Sandra L. Strauss, Director of Public Advocacy for the Pennsylvania Council of Churches said yesterday, “I want to be optimistic that our members of Congress, including Rep. Fitzpatrick, will support the moral decisions to extend emergency unemployment benefits and payroll tax reductions that are necessary to support our most vulnerable brothers and sisters at a time when they need it the most.”

Thanks to your willingness to speak up, hundreds of thousands of people out of work in Pennylvania and millions around the country have hope that they’ll be able to make that next house or car payment or keep their family above water for one more month.

Fitzpatrick Under Pressure to Support Unemployment Insurance Extension
without Drug Testing Attached
As deadline looms, Bucks County citizens demand passage of bill to
help 173,000 in Pennsylvania

Speakers:
The Rev. Sandra L. Strauss, Director of Public Advocacy, Pennsylvania
Council of Churches
Father Ernie Curtin, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church of Newtown
Arianne Sellers, Bucks Count resident
Frank Arcoleo, Bucks County resident

LANGHORNE, PA — Concerned Bucks County residents rallied outside Rep.
Fitzpatrick’s district office today to demand a clean year-long
extension to Unemployment Insurance and Payroll Tax Cuts. They
delivered dozens of constituent statements in support of the
Unemployment Insurance system and in opposition to drug testing
attached to the program. In December, an agreement was reached
between President Obama and Congress to extend benefits until the end
of February, 2012. An extension through the end of 2012 is currently
under intense debate in Congress.

“Why is it that in a time when many hard working Americans are
struggling to get jobs, public officials call us “free loaders” and
attack the Unemployment Insurace as a waste of tax dollars? Didn’t we
pay those Unemployment Insurance premiums ourselves? Why must you
further degrade us through drug testing and other senseless
application obstacles?” asked Arianne Sellers in an open letter to
Congressman Fitzpatrick. Ms. Sellers is a recent college graduate,
who has experience helping people navigate the Unemployment Insurance
system. “It already is a complicated process to apply for UI with
stringent requirements,” Sellers said.

In addition to the federal legislation, some conservative lawmakers in
Harrisburg are pushing for a bill that would require unemployment
insurance applicants to submit to drug tests or have a GED.

“Republicans are treating thousands of Pennsylvanians like criminals,”
said Penn Action organizer, Robin Stelly. “This is not the time to
handcuff more than 173,000 of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable to
ridiculous tests and requirements that cause them to lose their right
to these benefits.”

“I want to be optimistic that our members of Congress, including Rep.
Fitzpatrick, will support the moral decisions to extend emergency
unemployment benefits and payroll tax reductions that are necessary to
support our most vulnerable brothers and sisters at a time when they
need it the most. And I believe that we have the power in our hands,
as people of faith, to demand better,” Sandy Strauss of the
Pennsylvania Council of Churches stated.

Last month, the economy added over 243,000 jobs in the private sector.
Over the past 23 months the private sector has created over 3.7
million jobs, including 2.2 million in the last year alone.

*************************

Our groups work together to bring awareness and progressive change for Bucks County!

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